Tensioning clamp



1941- E. FINOCHIETTO TENSIONING CLAMP Filed Feb. 17, 1941 INVENTOR 511mlue FL'nocL (e t o Z 7 W. a d 7 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 'TENSIONING CLAMP Enrique Finochietto, BuenosAires, Argentina I Application February 17, Serial No. 379,318

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to clamps more particularly fororthopaedic and surgical purposes, of the kind adapted to be affixed tothe limbs of patients for submitting the limbs to tension for varyingperiods.

Many different devices have been used for the purpose stated above,but'hitherto, no entirely satisfactory means has been provided fortensioning the hand by traction applied to the fingers, or for applyingtraction to one or more fingers at a time.

' The principal object'of the present invention is to provide a clamp ofsimple and cheap construction and easy to manipulate, adapted to beapplied to the fingers of the hand so as to permit of the attachmentthereto of tensioning means properly so called.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide a 'tensioningclamp comprising a pair of arms pivotally mounted between a pair of sidetheir ends, the other ends of said arms being provided with cushioningmeans adapted yieldingly to grip the member to which the clamp'isapplied.

A further object of the present invention isto provide a multiple clampof the kind described above, in which the arms are spaced apart out ofclamping range and a plurality of elongated stops are adjustably mountedintermediate of said arms, whereby the clamp is adapted to be applied toa plurality of fingers at a time.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent in the course of the following description of certainembodiments thereof;

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a multiple clampaccording to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of said multiple clamp, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a simple clamp.

With reference to the figures, the novel clamp according to the presentinvention comprises a pair of arms I having a curved body portion 12terminating in a housing I4 adapted to receive a resilient cushioningpad l6 preferably of rubber, said pad having a gripping face which isconcavely curved in a direction transverse to the arm Ill. The other endof said body portion merges in a head portion 23 perforated near itsfree end as shown at 22 to receive attached thereto a flexibleattachment member here shown as a pair of lengths of chain 24 the endsremote from the head v plates and adjustably coupled together at one ofportion being joined together by a ring 26, wherethe body portion 12said head portions are adjustably coupled together as by right and lefthand screws 28, 30 pivotally secured to said head portions as by pins32, 34, said screws being themselves adjustably coupled by the sleeve36, which has a hole 38 for the insertion of a tomrny bar 'toassist intightening or slackening the screw connexion, the parts 28, 30, 36forming a link of variable length,

The body portion I2 is pivotally mounted in a frame member between ,twoside plates 4t thereof, sothat when the link connexion between the headportions is extended by turning the sleeve 38 in one direction, thecushion carrying ends of the arms are brought closer together, and whensaid link connexion is shortened by turning the sleeve 38 in the reversedirection, said ends of'the arms are caused to separate. 7

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arms ID are relativelywidely spaced apart to permit the inclusion of intermediate stops 42,

"whereby the clamp is adapted to grip a plurality of fingers in spacedrelationship at a time. Said stops 42 are of elongated lozenge shape andtheir side faces 44 are concavely curved in a transverse direction so asto enable them in cooperation with said pads Hi to embrace the majorportion of a round member such as a finger. The

stops 42 are adjustably mounted between the side plates 40 by' cotters46 passing through slots 48 formed lengthwise of said plates 49.Preferably saidcotters pass excentrically through said stops so that byturning said stops on the cotter's, the extent towhich the stops projectbeyond the side plates on the same side thereof asthe cushions or pads[6, may be changed. When in the position shown in the drawing, the stopsact to exert pressure on fingers located therebetween, substantially onthe curve passing through the several knuckles of corresponding joints,whereas in the inverted position, in which a negligible amount of thestops projects beyond the side plates on the same side thereof as thepads It, the line of pressure defined by the stops lies well above thatdefined by the pads. I

The single clamp shown in Fig. 3 is of substantially the same generalconstruction as the multiple pad of Figs. 1 and 2. Since the singleclamp is intended to be applied to only one finger at a time, the sideplates 42a may be much shorter and appear as links. Consequently toaccommodate the screw coupling between the arms Illa the body portion12a thereof is curved outwardly just before it merges into the headportions 20a. In the single clamp the side plates Na may be in directcontact with the side faces of the arms l2a, as owing to the outwardcurvature of the pad carrying extremities of said arms, there is plentyof room therebetween to accommodate a finger. In the multiple clamp,however, certain fingers have to pass between the side plates 40 andthese are therefore spaced apart by bosses 50 integral The housing forthe pads I'G convenientlycomprises a pair of parallel cheeks 54, a back56 and, Said floor is narrower than the thicka floor. ness of the pad tobe inserted in the housing, and the free edge 6i] thereof is concave andpref,- erably rounded as shown to prevent damage to the pads when theseare being inserted. By the provision of the housings for the pads, aswell as by the use of cotters for securing the stops to the side plates,the resilient parts may readily be removed from the clamps for cleaningand/or sterilising purposes or to replace existing pads or stops withothers of greater or lesser hardness. Since the remainder of the clampsis wholly of metal or some similar strong material which will readilywithstand high temperatures, and may be boiled or heated in an ovenwithout damage.

It will be readily understood that in practice,

the multiple clamp will be made as shown in principles hereinbeforeexplained, as may clamps for two fingers at a time.

I claim:

1. A finger tensioning clamp for orthopaedic and surgical purposescomprising a frame member, a pair of clamp arms pivoted intermediatelyof their length at spaced points on said frame member, an adjustablelink operative between adjacent ends of said clamp arms to vary thedistance between the other ends, finger gripping pads on said otherends, and at least one intermediate stop adjustably attached to saidframe member and extending into the space between said pads, said padsand stop having complementary curved surfaces for gripping a pluralityof fingers.

2. A finger tensioning clamp for orthopaedic and surgical purposescomprising a frame member, a pair of clamp arms pivoted intermediatelyof their length at spaced points on said frame member, an adjustablelink operative between adjacent ends of said clamp arms to vary thedistance between the other ends, finger gripping pads on said otherends, at least one intermediate stop attached to said frame member andextending into the space between said pads, said pads and stop havingcomplementary curved surfaces for gripping a plurality of fingers, andmeans providing adjustment of said stop on said frame in any directionin the plane of movement of 15' said arms.

3..A finger tensioning clamp according to claim 1 in which the framemember includes two parallel plates between which the arms and stop aremounted, the spacing of said plates being wide enough to receive theends of the fingers clamped by the pads and stops.

4: A finger tensioning clamp for orthopaedic and surgical purposescomprising a frame member, a pair of clamp arms pivoted intermediatelyof their length at spaced points on said frame member, an adjustablelink operative between adjacent ends of said clamp arms to vary thedistance between the other ends, finger gripping pads on said otherends, at least one intermediate stop adjustably attached to said framememher and extending into the space between said pads, said pads andstop having complementary curved surfaces for gripping a plurality offingers, and means for applying tension to the link connected ends ofsaid arms in the plane of pivoting thereof.

5. A finger tensioning clamp according to claim 1 in which the framemembers is bowed towards to the space between the pads and carries theintermediate stop inv its bowed portion.

6. A finger tensioning clamp for orthopaedic and surgical purposescomprising a frame member, a pair ofclamp arms pivoted intermediately oftheir length at spaced points on said frame member, an adjustable linkoperative between adjacent ends of said clamp arms to vary the distancebetween the other ends, finger gripping pads on said other ends, atleast one intermediate stop attached to said frame member and extendinginto the space between said pads, said pads and stop havingcomplementary curved surfaces for gripping a plurality of fingers, andmeans-for adjusting the position of the line of clamping pressurebetween the pads and the stop.

ENRIQUE FINOCHIETTO.

